Dear Rion, Lauren and Julia,It has been sixteen days since the earthquake and tsunami. I have worked non stop to try and make contact with you over these days, to no avail.

I have thought about you, my beautiful daughters, every day since your mother took you away. And, for the last 16 days I have thought of nothing else. I am worried about you, my precious little girls. You are still a little too young to appreciate the danger of radiation from the nuclear reactor melting down just 40km away. Your mother should have taken you south now, if she has the right information.

Of course, I don’t know if you are in Iwaki or if you have left to go farther from the reactor because your mother will not talk to me or inform me about you in any way. Your uncle Yasu and your aunt Kiyomi also will not talk to me or give me any information.

I don’t know what the effect of this massive disaster will be on you girls. I am, as always, concerned for your best interests. I wish I could speak with you.

Rion and Lauren, do you remember English? I hope the skills you learned here in BC before you were taken away will stay with you somehow, though I know that it is unlikely, if you do not practice those skills. I certainly hope you have the opportunity to study English in school.

I LOVE YOU very, very much. Never doubt that your father has always loved you. I don’t know what you have been told about why you are living in Japan, or why you cannot speak to your father. I’m sure that hurt you at first. I’m sorry if your mother has hurt you by taking you away from Canada and me, grandma, uncle Brian etc. I want you to know that I feel that what your mom has done is very wrong. It contravenes your basic human rights.

As a child, you cannot defend against something like that, so please never blame yourselves, it is not your fault nor was it ever your fault. I simply have the hope that you will somehow remember that you had a good dad. We went for walks to pick flowers many, many times. We went to ‘play park’ many, many times. These were the best days of my life, my girls. I would rather be with you three people than any other people in the world. You are so greatly missed by myself, and all of your Canadian family.

When your mom took you away, she took a giant piece of me as well. I want you to know that I’m doing my best to take care of myself. I am working as hard as I can trying to reestablish contact with you. I will keep trying until it finally happens. I hope that we are able to be together again one day.